However, he stopped short of suggesting it could break the $1bn barrier as the film has now opened in all major markets, including China, where a heavily censored version was released earlier this year.

“Story is conflict, screenwriters always tell us, and there was a strong dramatic conflict at the centre of Freddie’s life, as he strove for self-acceptance, and to reconcile the ‘Freddies’ he presented to his family and the world with the real person.

“In other words, there is a compellingly dramatic story to tell,” Gant added.

Bohemian Rhapsody is now Fox’s fourth-biggest title behind Avatar, Titanic, and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Overseas, it is the studio’s fifth-best release to date.

The film’s figures reflect “good word-of mouth,” he says.

“Strong marketing can open a film; after that, the verdict of audiences is what sustains you.”